I found the news quite exciting that we could change our genome, but have received several questions about the findings. I will attempt to answer them.
The changes in the DNA with exercise are over and above the genes, called epigenetic. The methyl groups which go away with exercise prevent transcription factors from turning on the gene expression. The methyl groups clog up the mechanism and exercise "opens up" the gene to normal expression by removing the -CH3 group attached to the outside of the DNA, so the gene function may return to normal. In our case one of the benefits is more normal glucose metabolism in and out of the cell.
BUT, how can this be a lifetime effect? With as little as 20 minutes of exercise, the effect was seen for several hours. Imagine what can happen with longer and regular exercise! When you exercise and make these epigenetic changes happen, you won't just change the short term but may change your genome for a lifetime (as long as you exercise).
"This shows that there is some molecular evidence to support the notion that exercise is a medicine," Dr. Zierath told Science Daily March 6, 2012.
Imagine that genes involved in breast cancer prevention are covered up by the methyl groups and that exercise removes the group so that the normal gene expression can prevent breast cancer. We know that those who exercise have fewer breast cancers, maybe this is how it works or at least part of the process.
Together we can prevent 75,000 breast cancers each year!
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